Tag Team

Quinn watched as emotion flickered through her eyes...waiting silently...

He lifted her hands to his lips, the movement making him wince. He gently pressed his lips to her hands, never moving his eyes from hers...

I looked down at his lips on my hands taking a ragged breath to try to gain my composure. I still didn't think I deserved him, he deserved so much more than I could give him. But I loved him, with everything I was, I loved him. I was helplessly, hopelessly falling in love with him. So why couldn't I just say it? SAY the words? I looked up at him with a tear brimming my eye. For now, I'd push aside those insecurities. I chuckled at myself and cleared my throat, knowing I'd been silent for a while now. "Quinn I....love you so much, I can't explain it. But I do. I do love you." The words came out almost hoarsely as I looked into his eyes.

Quinn waited quietly, letting her absorb what he had said and simply looked into her eyes, waiting...

He heard her say, almost whispering...
"Quinn I....love you so much, I can't explain it. But I do. I do love you."

Quinn felt tears of happiness welling up in his eyes, washing any pain he might have felt away. He gently wiped the blood tear away before it could fall and mark her beautiful skin.

He pulled her close, ignoring the pain, hugging her in a tight embrace, kissing her deeply again..

Everything I'd been holding in at that moment resurfaced and washed over me like a wave of emotions. Feeling his lips press to mine as he kissed me deeply. Tasting the vampire's blood still on his lips as I slid my tongue into his mouth holding him to me in a desperate need. If Vincent was still in the room he was getting a show. I pulled away and my breath came faster as I looked up at him and nodded. "I do. I love you. I'm in love with you." I was sure of it more than anything and for tonight I'd be selfish and hid any doubt that I didn't deserve him, because right now I just wanted to be in his arms.

His soul sang with her words "I do. I love you. I'm in love with you."

Quinn looked over at Vincent and asked him to run a hot bath in the large tub. Vincent headed down the hall leaving them alone and they could hear the water running.

Quinn chuckled, holding her close...
"We need to get you cleaned up, princess...."

Quinn held a finger to her lips, blocking any protest, and slowly began to undress her, moving slowly to try and avoid those little pinches of pain. Piece by piece, he removed her clothing, decorating the exposed areas with kisses as he moved from one spot to the next...

Once her remaining clothing had joined the bloody shirt, he moved to scoop her up, wincing and thinking better of the idea. He took her hand, leading her toward the bath, chuckling...her words still echoing in his mind.... "I do. I love you. I'm in love with you."

Vincent left the room after nodding, the small smile on his face making me want to blush. I looked back up to him and began to speak when he pressed his finger to my lips. His hands moved slowly across my skin, unclasping my bra and letting it fall off of me. I grinned and turned my head to the side as he began working on my jeans. His fingers were swift as he worked the buttons and zipper, sliding them down my legs slowly. Wincing as he did so. I closed my eyes and tried to control myself. He moved to scoop me up but winced and shook his head, taking my hand instead as I giggled. Following him into the master bath that was empty and water awaited us. What a crazy night it had been. So much had happened and now all that mattered was him. I watched him enter the tub and sit as I did the same thing. He looked at me confused when I sat behind him. I grinned and took the sponge, lathering it up and looked over his shoulder at him. "You're the hurt one. Don't object." Moving the sponge across his back softly as his skin became coated in suds. My free hand rubbing circles on the other side.

Quinn smiled and nodded, accepting her reasoning. It would be easier for her to move around than him. He closed his eyes, letting the feeling of her movements guide him as she ran the sponge over his skin...

He simply whispered, "Of course, princess..."

I continued to wash his skin from the grass, dirt and blood. I helped him to slide down a little so that I could reach over and wash his chest. If this wasn't the sexiest thing ever I don't know what was, and how I was staying calm and in control of myself I had no idea. Maybe knowing he was hurt gave me a new hold on things. Maybe I was gaining control of my impulses. His head laid back on my chest, as I smiled down at him while running the sponge across his chest. Giving him a soft kiss before pulling back and giggling. "Some night hmm?"

"That is has been, Jessica."

Quinn could feel the effects of the blood fading, his mind clear, and little pain unless he moved wrong.

"A day of days in many ways....."

He leaned his head back, pulling her lips to his with his good hand...

"You are mine....my beauty...."

Hearing him call me his, send chills down my spine. I kissed him back before pulling away and smiling. "Always." Wrapping my legs around his waist and my arms around his chest as I held him to me and leaned in close to his ear. "I love you, John Quinn." Playfully nipping his earlobe as my hands pressed against his chest and slid across back and fourth. His skin soapy and smelling so good. This moment was worth a thousand words, but none that I could think of to describe it.

Quinn's eyes were closed, loving the feel of her hands on his body.

Her whisper of "I love you, John Quinn" send ripples of pleasure through him...just hearing her say it..

As her hands wandered lower, she occasionally found a tender spot and he would flinch a moment, but did his best to hide it. She was relaxed and seemed happy. He did not want to spoil the moment...

I wet the sponge again and drug it along his body to rid him of suds. "How are you feeling, Tiger?" He seemed so relaxed which meant he wasn't in pain so maybe the blood was helping. Almost afraid to move him and risk making him hurt I just sat there holding him to me. It all just felt so right and clicked into place.

Quinn heard her ask how he was feeling...and thought before answering...

"Your 'Tiger' is feeling much better, with his princess wrapped around him..."

He ran his hands along her legs, letting his fingers follow their shape...

As her arm came close, he kissed it, chuckling a little...

I giggled and continued to rinse him off feeling his hands along my legs. I kissed the back of his neck and made a trail of kisses down and across his shoulder. "I'm glad. I couldn't stand seeing you hurt, and I know how much you hate....the idea of....drinking vampire blood." Remembering his stories of his past, I knew it was something that made him uneasy. I didn't blame him but knew it took a lot to give into me like he did. Setting the sponge down on the ledge that surrounded the garden tub. Placing both hands on his lower abdomen and coming up slowly as I closed my eyes just enjoying the feel of his hot skin against mine.

Quinn noticed her reaching down his body, trying to accommodate her, and was rewarded with a sharp pinching sensation from a few of the lower ribs. They caught him off guard and he flinched before he could stop it...

"It is not that I hate it, Jessica.....it's just that I....."

Quinn wanted to explain, but revealing that fear was very hard...it was one of his biggest....

I felt him flinch as he tried to move. "It's okay, don't move. Let the blood work." He began to try to explain as I moved my head over his shoulder a little more to look at him. "You don't have to explain it. I understand....vampire blood has....addicting qualities. Anyone with a brain would be fearful of that. You don't have to explain anything to me." I tried to reassure him, feeling how tense he'd gotten.

Quinn listened and realized that she did understand....

He felt her lean close and turned his head, kissing her softly....

"I love you, Jessica...more than you could ever know..."

It felt like so much had been lifted and almost as if my heart was fully healed from the destruction Jason caused me to feel. Slowly Quinn pieced my heart back together and made me, me again. I smiled and kissed him back, hearing him say those sweet words I never thought I'd hear any man say to me and mean it so much.

"I love you, Jessica...more than you could ever know..."

I caressed his face and pressed my forehead to his and nodded. "I think I do." Words were not needing to be spoken, I felt his love, I felt what his heart was saying. It was like a volt of electricity that made me alive again.

Quinn smiled, and pulled her around from behind him, pulling her into his lap...

He looked in her eyes, swimming in their depths....

"I would give my life for you, My sweet Jessica..."

I felt his strong arms pull me into his lap as I leaned back against him and looked into his eyes. Wrapping one arm around his shoulder as I smiled. "The feeling is mutual. All I could think about tonight was making sure you didn't get hurt. I can't....I can't picture my nights without you. I look forward to waking just to see you again. My life feels like it has meaning and purpose. Quinn....you showed me...." I began to choke up a little as I tried to continue without crying. "You showed me it was okay to be myself."

Quinn kissed her deeply, never breaking eye contact.....

"You will always have that here, My beloved...you are free to...no...wanted to be yourself, and all that entails."

He caressed her cheek softly...

Staring into his eyes as he kissed me, feeling all the love he gave me. His words reassuring me and making me feel whole. I chuckled and smiled as I looked down at myself, still partially covered in blood. "I uh...should get cleaned up. Do you need help getting dressed?" I knew he was hurting and needed to rest. He'd need his strength.

Quinn smiled and picked up the sponge and pressed it beneath the water, cradling her close. He kissed her and began washing her, chuckling as the water took on a pink tinge....

"You are so beautiful...."

He ran his hands and the sponge over her skin, loving the feel of his hands on her skin...

He smiled mischievously for a moment, running gentle fingers over her mound as he kissed her shoulder...then went back to washing her...

Occasionally, he would shift his weight, causing her to slip under the surface and he would pull her back into his lap again, continuing to run the his hands over her...

"Rest can wait, My sweet Jessica.....this time together.....this is more important right now..."

He kissed her again....not with urgency or passion, but with tenderness...

The touch of his hand against my skin as it caressed me while washing me at the same time. A man so strong as he was, could be so gentle at the same time. My eyes looked down as he told me I was beautiful. Feeling his fingers run against my mound and kiss my shoulder I bit my bottom lip and closed my eyes.

"Rest can wait, My sweet Jessica.....this time together.....this is more important right now..."

"But Qui--" My words were cut off by his lips to mine with such tenderness I melted against him in his arms. It was like our souls connected on a whole other level, one that couldn't be described. When he kissed me, I could tell how in love I was with him. All my prayers and questions answered with a simple kiss from this man.

Quinn cradled her close, running his hands gentle over her skin, making sure they had gotten every trace of the blood off of her....He kissed her again....

"We both know there are troubles outside these walls, My princess, my sweet Jessica. Within these walls, the world can fade away as we can simply enjoy being ourselves..."

Quinn let his hands rest on her hips, kissing her softly, quietly...just enjoying being with her.